Caterpillar capstan



April 28, 1959 c. o. BRuEsTLE 2,884,120

CATERPILLAR CAPSTAN Filed Dec. is, 1955 3 sheets-sheet 1v INVEN TOR.CARL O. /eufsnf' from/Hfs ,d -Pl' l BY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 15,41955 IN V EN TOR @ARL O 5m/55H5 BY Q rro/eA/EVS April 28, 1959 cg.BRUESTLE 2,884,120 i CATERPILLAR CAPSTAN n Filed D60.v 15, 1955 3SheelBS-S-hee'l', 3

1 INVENTOR. @ARL 0. /eusszf @www A TTOR/VEKS United States PatentCATERPILLAR CAPSTAN Carl O. Bruestle, Metuchen, NJ., assigner to SyncroMachine Company, Perth Amboy, NJ., a corporation of New JerseyApplication December 13, 1955, Serial No. 552,808 2 Claims. (Cl.203-227) This invention comprises improvements in the caterpillar typeof capstan by means of which heavy wire and cable are pulled lengthwisein various processing operations.

The main object of the invention is to provide an improved form lofcapstan of this type.

A subsidiaryv object is to provide a caterpillar capstan constructionsuch as to accommodate various sizes of wire and cable and toautomatically adjust itself for any irregularities in the diameterthereof.

Still another object is to provide a caterpillar type of 'capstanconstructed to provide a sure and positive grip on the wire or cablesutlcient to impart all the required pulling for-ces to be met withoutslippage.

An object of the invention is to provide cable gripping chain supportedpressure shoes in pairs to engage the cable to be moved lengthwisethereby at their opposite sides and to provide variable pressure meansfor said pressure shoes which also acts to guide the supporting chainsfor said shoes to hold them parallel to the cable center.

Still another object of the invention is to provide resiliently urgedcompensating rails or cams engaging the chains at points opposite tosaid pressure rails or cams to keep the chains tight for all sizes ofcable within the capacity of the capstan.

Another object of the invention is to provide a support ing structure onthe chains for each section of the shoe pairs to facilitate changing thegripping shoes to adapt the machine for different cable sizes and crosssectional shapes.

Another object `of the invention is to provide supporting structures `ontherchains for each section of the pressure shoe pairs to facilitate theinterchange of pressure shoes `of various cable sizes and crosssectional shapes.

Other and more detailed objects ofthe invention will be apparent fromthe following disclosure `of. theern- 'bodiment" thereof shown in theattached drawings.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a side elevational view of one form of the device of thisinvention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Figures 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views taken ron the lines 3 3 and 44 respectively of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a side elevational View of one of the gripping shoes and themounting device therefor;

Figure 6 is an end elevational view of this shoe; and

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 6.

L, In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the ,l de

vice is shown to include a ibase plate 10 on which at one end insuitable bearing structures, see Figure 3, are rotatably mounted a pairof shafts 11 and 12. Secured to these shafts respectively Ion one sideof the plate are the sprocket wheels 13 and 14 and on the other side ofthe plate the bevel gears 15 and 16. These bevel gears mesh with thebevel gears 17 and 18 respectively which are secured to a shaft 19. Thisshaft is journaled in suitable bearings mounted in brackets 20, 21 and22 secured to the base plate 10. On one end shaft 19 is a sprocket wheel23 and intermediate its ends is a driving sprocket 24. At 25 is a oneway clutch. Journaled in bearings mounted on plate 10 at its other endare another pair of shafts on which are secured the sprocket wheels 26and 27. As is clear from Figure 2, the sprockets 13 and 26 and 12 and 27are aligned on axes which are parallel and equidistantly spaced from thecenterline of the path of movement of the wire or cable C.

Secured to one face of the plate 10, see Figures l and 2, are a pair ofrails 29 and 30 which are arranged in parallel spaced relation andprovided with guideways, as is clear from Figures 1 and 4. A pair ofplates 31 and 32 are provided with rabbets at their ends to form tongueswhich slidably engage in the guideways of the rails 29 and 30, so thatthe plates 31 and 32 may slide towards and away from each other and liein a single plane. As is seen from Figure l, this plane is parallel tothe plate 1t). Secured to the exposed face of the plate 31 in parallelspaced relation are a series of plates 33, 34, 35 and 36, which aresecured to the plate 31 in any suitable manner and between which,extending longitudinally of the plate, are reinforcing Webs, as for eX-ample the web 51. A similar set of plates 37, 38, 39 and 40 are securedto the plate 32, and likewise the reinforcing webs 52. Secured on theadjacent ends of the plates 33, 34, 3S and 36 is a rail or pressure cam41 which lies parallel to and is spaced from a similar rail or cam 42secured to the plates 37, 38, 39 and 40. The rails 41 and 42 areequidistantly spaced on opposite sides of the path of movement of thecable C.

At this point it will be helpful to note that the plates which supportthe rails 41 and 42, as for example the plates 35 and 39, are T-shapedso that the rails 41 and 42 are secured thereto in the corner formationsat one side. Secured to the other end of each of these plates, asillustrated in Figure 2, are rectangular bars 43 to 50 inclusive, whichform with the cornered formations at that end, guideways in which areslidably mounted the rails 53 and 54. These rails are provided with aseries of seat forming members or blocks 59 and 60 against which one endof a series of compression springsl 56` and S8 seat. Teleseoping withthese springs are a series of threaded adjustable spring positioningpins 5S and 57.

Secured on the opposite side of the plate 10 from the structure justdescribed, are a pair of fluid pressure engines having the cylinders 6-1and 62 which are secured to the plates 31 and 32 respectively. The plate10, as is' clear fromv Figure 4,-v is cut away to expose the plates 31and 32 for attachment of the cylinders, as in the case of the opening1t)a for the cylinder 62. The piston rods 63 and 65 of these engines areconnected to brackets 64 and 66 respectively, which are secured to theplate 10. Each engine, as illustrated in the case of the engine 62, isprovided with threaded ports 62a and 62h, by means of which pressureiiuid may be supplied to and exhausted from the cylinder to effect theoperation to be later described.

Jiournaled in suitable bearing structures on one side of plate 10, are apair of pinions 67 and 68 which mesh respectively with the toothed racks60 and 70, and 71 and 72. The racks 69 and 71 are secured to the plate32 and the racks 70 and 72 are secured to the plate 31. They arearranged in parallel relation, as shown in Figure 1, and mesh with theopposite sides of the pinions.

A pair of endless chains and 82 are mounted on the sprocket pairs 13 and26 and 14 and 27 respectively. These are roller chains of a type readilyavailable in commerce and on each link there is mounted a gripping orpressure shoe.

Each shoe support consists of a rectangular plate 87 fastened to a pairof L-shaped brackets 38 :forming part of or attached to the links of thechain. The gripping shoes 81, made of any suitable resilient materialand having the proper end face formation, are bonded to channel shapedplates S5 which are dimensioned so that they can be slipped endwise intoplates S7. Secured at one end to each of the plates 87 is a stop 86, sothat when the shoe is slipped in place it will be properly alignedtransversely of the chain link. The two chains have the same number oflinks, and hence are each provided with the same number of shoestructures so that they can together in pairs form a series of wire orcable grips or pressure shoes, as clearly illustrated in Figure 4. Theresultant shoes being detachably secured to the chains, can be replacedby other suitably shaped shoes for other sizes and shapes of cables.

ln the operation of the device power is applied to the sprocket 24 fromany suitable power source through a chain to cause rotation of the shaft19. The one-way direction provided by the clutch 25 prevents reversemotion or movement of the cable during stoppage of the machine. Inpassing it is noted that the sprocket 23 had nothing to do with theinvention herein claimed.

The bevel gears 17 and 18 drive the sprockets 13 and 14 in an obviousmanner to effect conjoint movement of the chains 80 and 82. In order tothread the capstan, pressure iluid is applied through the ports of theengines, as represented by the port 62h, and exhausted through the ports622, so that the plate 32, Figures 2 and 4, moves downwardly carryingthe toothed racks 69 and 71 with it. This movement of the racks causesthe pinions 67 and 68 to revolve and their rotation acting through theracks 70 and 72 causes the plate 31 to move upwardly (Fig. 1). As aresult the adjacent pair of rails 41 and 42, which are secured to theplates 31 and 32 as previously described, move apart taking the pressureolf of the adjacent lengths of the chains 80 and S2. The outermost rails53 and 54 lying against the outer lengths of the chains are normallyrestrained by the chains, but take up slack created by separation ofplates 41 and 42. This is caused by the springs 56 and 58 which cause acompensating outward movement of the rails 53 and 54 as the pressure onthe chains is relaxed. Thus the initial end of a cable to be processedcan be fed between the shoe pairs Sli-83. When the pressure uid supplyand exhaust connections for the cylinders of the engines 61 and 62 arereversed, the parts return to their original position and pressure isapplied to the cable through the rails 41 and 42 and resilient shoes.Floating plates 53 and 54 again preventing slack in the chains. Thegripping force of the chains on the cable can be increased if desired byincreasing the supply of pressure fluid to the ports corresponding tothe port 62B for the cylinder 62, causing the plates 31 and 32 to tendto move towards each other and increase the pressure on the adjacentlengths of the chains through the 4 rails 41 and 42 secured to theseplates. Thus, any required gripping pressure on the cable can beprovided through the control of pressure uid supplied to the engines. i'

From the above description it will be apparent to those skilled in theart that the subject matter of this invention can be embodied in otherdetailed forms, and it is to be understood, therefore, that the scope ofprotection is to be afforded by the appended claims rather than by thesingle embodiment herein disclosed.

tf1/hat is claimed is:

l. A cable capstan comprising a pair of relatively movable supports,means for causing conjoint movement of said supports towards and awayfrom each other, a pair of pressure rails attached to said supports inparallel spaced relation and lying on opposite sides of a cable path, apair of endless chains, means for moving said chains lengthwise alongsaid rails, a plurality of shoes secured to said chains to form grippingpairs cooperating as said chains move along said rails, a bedplate onwhich said supports are slidably mounted, and said first meanscomprising a power device connected to one of said supports and drivingconnections from that support to the other to effect said conjointmovement comprising pinions rotatably mounted on said bedplate andtoothed racks connected to said supports respectively and engaging saidpinions.

2. A cable capstan comprising a pair of relatively movable supports,pressure iluid means for causing conjoint movement of said supportstowards and away from each other, a pair of pressure rails attached tosaid supports in parallel spaced relation and lying on opposite sides ofa cable path, a pair of endless chains, means for moving said chainslengthwise along said rails, a plurality of shoes secured to said chainsto form gripping pairs cooperating as said chains move along said rails,said pressure fluid means providing the correct force applied to saidgripping pairs, a second pair of rails slidably mounted on each of saidsupports, and means for resiliently urging said second pair of railsagainst said chains respectively, said rail pairs being arranged toengage oppositely positioned lengths of the respective chains.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,887,434 Sammis Nov. 8, 1932 2,186,776 Webb et al. Jan. 9, 19402,623,570 Resser Dec. 30, 1952 2,642,280 Fisk June 16, 1953 2,655,066Siegerist Oct. 13, 1953 2,679,924 Powell June 1, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS572,968 Great Britain Oct. 31, 1945

